A/N: Mature Topic is talked upon at the end of the chapter.
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For the next few days, Cyrus oversaw Harry and Daphne's Occlumency training. He instructed them through the basic clearing of thoughts and meditations until he was satisfied that they were ready to start exploring their minds.
He would watch over them for hours as they trained and helped each other. He was proud of their progress. He was proud, at least until the morning of the last day of December.
Coming from the dining room to the main sitting room, he balked deeply as he took in the sight of his daughter curled up on a giant lion, their faces pressed together.
"Cyrus, do you know what's going on with those two? They've been like that for a couple of hours now." Griffith Abbott asked his friend.
Cyrus gaped, his mouth opening and closing several times before he answered, "They achieved something that took us years in only days," he openly stared at his daughter and new son.
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Inside the minds of Harry and Daphne
Daphne was laid across his broad back as he walked along a river. "Everyone is likely going to freak out seeing us, dear."
The lion huffed under her, "I don't care. I'm not going to hide in my own home." Harry's voice sounded from the lion.
She smiled and raked her fingers through his thick fur. "I know, dear, but dad told us that this stage took him nearly three years to get to with mom."
"We're already bonded through our magic," he looked at her from over his shoulder, "Now, we're linking our minds. Our connection was already deep before this."
As Harry carried them up a small hill, he stopped to look down upon their meadow.
"Since we've found my form, can you help me with my transformation?"
"I won't be much help but I can help walk you through it, Luv."
"Thank you," She smiled as she cuddled into his neck again.
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Coming into the sitting room, Blaise nearly jumped into his mother as he saw Harry and Daphne.
"Why did no one warn me that he's also the youngest animagus?" He looked at the gathering of Hermione, Neville, Susan, and Tracey. They were keeping the twins from disturbing the couple.
"Because he's not," Bell told him, a wide grin on his face.
"What do you mean?"
"Well," the boy started, "unlike Granny Minny, Harry doesn't have the aura of a cat. I can't see his ears or tail like I can Granny's." He shrugged as he looked at what he thought was a sleeping lion.
"He is the lion, and the lion is him. Human or animal, it's still Harry. There is no difference." He explained further.
His sister gave Blaise a big smile as she walked over to him, "Bell's right. I don't hear the animal like when Granny talks. I hear Harry."
"What do you mean, you hear him?" Neville asked with a confused expression.
"I'm able to hear the Potter hum from him. If I focus on it then it turns into Harry's voice." She told her older cousin.
Susan smiled and motioned her over, "Can you help us try? We'd like to hear Harry as well."
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Harry and Daphne were still in their meadow, curled up together as Daphne tried transforming her limbs into that of her animal.
They decided to start with her hands before moving on to her arms.
"Try your torso a few times until it feels natural and then we'll do your head."
"Remind me of the benefits of doing it this way." She looked at her husband.
He huffed at her lightly and brushed his nose against her ear, "Your connection with your animal will be deeper. It will also enhance one or two of your senses based on your form."
"Morgana herself is thought to have been a bird animagus. One of her writings states she could see much further and clearer than others."
She cocked an eye at him, "And where did you come across that little bit?"
"Gran's private library." His ears flicked as he nuzzled her face.
She could only shake her head as she began to change her torso. It was a couple of hours later when they moved onto her head.
They continued to practice her change until it felt natural to her, something she would be thankful for later.
They didn't come back into the outside world until late afternoon. Astoria was curled up on a sofa with a book as she was watching her sister and Harry when the great lion lifted his head and gave a mighty yawn.
"Welcome back, you two." She said from her seat as she watched Daphne begin to stretch.
"How long have we been there?"
"Most of the day," Astoria shrugged, "Dad was amazed and bewildered that you advanced so quickly, and mom wanted to hug you both when dad told her." She explained as she looked back down at her book.
"I'm not surprised," Daphne said as she smiled at Harry as he pressed his head against her arm. "Connecting two minds is very dangerous and should be approached with the upmost care and caution."
"Follow your own advice," Astoria smirked at her sister.
Daphne went to reply to her before she let out a gasp and bit back a smile, "Harry, she's your little sister as well now, you know."
The lion's ears fell back, its face falling in surprise at being told that. Daphne shook her head with a small smile.
"So, we haven't been able to talk in the past few days," Astoria closed her book as she got up and moved closer to her sister and lion-in-law.
"What do you want to talk about, Tori?" Daphne asked as she leaned back into Harry's body, smiling in comfort.
Astoria's face slit into a sly grin as she seemed to think about her question for a moment, "How did the Rites of Yule go?"
She expected her older sister to become flustered, not give a lion a sultry smirk.
"What was it, ten times out in the forest?" She asked him in a low voice as her fingers brushed down his neck. The lion growled out, his eyes narrowing at her.
Whatever was said between them made her visibly shiver and bite her lip, "Your tub is huge, so don't blame me for that. You're the one who broke the marble top and mirror."
He huffed lowly, pressing his nose against her neck.
"That's not fair, Harry. How could I have broken the bed when we both had a hand in snapping the iron reinforcements?" She swatted at his shoulder lightly, her head falling back.
Harry growled against her shoulder and pressed his nose to her collarbone, which was hidden behind her thick jumper and hair.
Astoria was slackjawed, her face bright red as she stared at the couple. She began to sputter and trip over her words loudly.
Her volume drew the attention of those close to the room. Seamus, Blaise, Hermione, Neville, Tracey, and the Abbott family were soon in the room.
"What's going on, is everything alright?" Tracey asked, looking at Astoria in worry. She had never once seen the girl so flushed.
"NO!" Astoria yelled before pointing an accusing finger at Harry and Daphne, "My sister is a freak and is flirting with her lion in front of me!"
"Why?" Hermione asked.
Daphne smiled at her friends, "Because my dearest sister wanted to know how our Yule Rite went."
This got the attention of the girls, who all seemed to get excited and rushed to find a seat.
Blaise and Seamus were staring at the lion as Neville let out a roar of laughter.
"Harry's a literal animal, Astoria, why shouldn't his other half be as well?" He smirked widely, earning a low growl from the lion.
Daphne grew thoughtful for a moment as she stared into his emerald eyes before her cheeks grew flush, "Harry, love if you don't stop, I will not be held accountable for what happens in front of our friends and family."
He pressed his nose into her hair, nuzzling back into her neck.
The Abbott couple quickly left the room once that was said, they shouted a quick "Mind yourselves!" behind them as they did.
"Alright," Tracey said happily, "I need to know. How many times did you do it?"
The trio of girls leaned closer as the boys found seats.
"Seven times that night, three more once we woke, once we got back we did it twice on the sink, and four times split between the bath and shower," Daphne answered seriously, leaning into Harry more.
"Have you been together since?" Hannah asked, her cheeks a light pink.
She nodded, "Multiple times per night and every morning before coming downstairs."
"How the ruddy hell do you still walk straight?!" Seamus asked stunned.
Daphne only smirked at him and Susan began to laugh, "She can't! That's why she's always leaning on Harry so she can hide it."
"And that's a trick you'll want to remember for when you have your own husbands." Daphne smiled at the girls before shooting a look at the boys, "You boys should remember that as well"
"How come we've hardly seen Harry as a person?" Hermione asked, looking at the lion with a raised eyebrow.
He showed his teeth and let out a low growl against Daphne, something was said that make her give him a sultry smirk.
"Oh hush, we both know how much you enjoyed it," She ran her fingers along his neck before answering for him, "He can't hide behind jumpers and his hair."
"Now you've got to show us yours, Daph," Tracey smiled ruefully at her best friend.
Daphne huffed but leaned up, "Fine but the boys might want to look away for a moment."
"Are you wearing a shirt under there?" Neville asked, his head turned away.
Daphne nodded and hummed a 'yes' which made Seamus smirk, "Then no ruddy way. I need some dirt on him." His Irish was thick as he chuckled.
The lion narrowed his eyes at the Irishman and Daphne chuckled, "That's what you have on him? That's actual gold."
That made Seamus look startled, "What did he tell you?" He asked.
"Wouldn't you like to know?" Daphne laughed as she took off her jumper, leaving her in a silk tank top.
Her neck, collar, and chest were covered in hickeys and love bites. Her shoulders weren't spared from them either. The tank rode up slightly as she leaned into the lion again, showing that her lower body wasn't forgotten.
Her wrists wore hand-shaped bruises. They could see similar bruises poking from her waistband.
They all stared, their eyes wide and faces growing hot. Well, all but Blaise. His face was neutral but his eyes betrayed his reaction.
Hermione was the first to recover and threw a cushion at Harry, "Harry! Being an animal doesn't give you the right to do that to her!"
Her face was bright red, her hair looking more frazzled than ever.
The lion only seemed to smirk, his tongue flicking out to lick Daphne's shoulder lightly.
"Shut up," Daphne laughed as she pushed his head away, "You only want me in my knickers because you owe me four pairs and I'm not going to make it five in front of our friends."
"By the Gods," Astoria shrieked, "She LIKED it!"
"Did you not hear when I said we broke the marble, mirror, and bed, little sister?" Daphne asked, laughing lightly.
"Are you taking the potion?" Susan piped up.
"No," She shook her head lightly, "Magic will bless us with a child when she wishes, no sooner nor later."
"My best friend is an animal..." Tracey whispered to herself.
Hannah was hiding behind her hair, blushing strongly as Hermione glared at Harry. Seamus was laughing to himself as Neville and Blaise looked away.
Blaise was staring at Susan out of the corner of his eye, but Harry noticed and pointed it out to Daphne.
"I can't use this as blackmail if you're proud of it!" Seamus laughed heartily.
Harry huffed out, his tail flicking as Daphne shrugged, "Why shouldn't we be proud of it? The only reason we decided to hide was so we weren't accosted by our family."
"Yeah," Neville snorted, "Our Grans, Ami, and Petunia sat us down a couple of years back to give us 'The Talk' and I don't blame Harry for not wanting to go through that again."
Susan shivered and shook her head strongly, "No, thank you. Nev, you suck for just bringing it up."
Harry lifted his head, staring at Daphne seriously. She shook her head and stroked his jaw lightly, "Even in animal form you are still over a quarter size larger than me."
"The idea has merit," She agreed as he huffed, "but still, no."
"What are you two talking about over there?" Blaise asked.
Daphne stared at him blankly as she answered, "Harry had the thought of mating in our animal forms."
"Forget I bloody asked," The dark-skinned boy said strongly.